Tarner Park

Tarner Park 2008

Photo by Simon Bannister

Formerly the gardens of St John's Lodge

By Simon Bannister

The site of Tarner Park was formerly the gardens to St John's Lodge, a large three storey house built by Edward Tilbury which was later occupied by his daughter - Letitia Tilbury who married a merchant - Edwin Adolphus Tarner. The house and land continued in the ownership of the Tarner family until the 1930's. Although Edwin and Letitia had eight children, only three survived into the 20th century, and by the 1930's the remaining child - Letitia-Tilbury Tarner now in her late 80's - disposed of the house and land.

An open air nurseryPart of the garden was donated to Brighton & Hove Nursery Schools Association and was used firstly as a site for the Margaret Macmillan open air nursery, and currently by the Tarnerland Nursery school. St Johns Lodge was left to Brighton Corporation and became the Tarner Home - a charitable hospice. The bulk of the remaining garden was acquired by Brighton Corporation with the condition that it form and remain a public park, which has been its use to the present day.

The topography unchangedThe topography of the park has remained essentially unchanged since it was first developed as a private garden, and the planting and landscaping scheme inherited in the 1930's has been altered only in the addition of buildings and play features and the creation of direct access from Sussex Street rather than Tilbury Place.

Flint perimeter wallsThe flint perimeter walls remain, as does the TarnerTower - a folly built by Edward Tilbury at the time of the initial garden layout - with the exception of a footbridge which linked the tower to the upper garden (now Tarnerland Nursery). Around the site perimeter, St Johns Place has been extended to meet with Sussex Street, and Richmond Hill has been replaced with the Carlton Hill school site. Priory House now stands at the north end of Tilbury Place.

'Tarner' Tower 2008

Photo by Simon Bannister

Grade II listed follyThe main built feature of heritage interest in the Park is the Grade II listed folly and attached walls at the top of the park. Of additional interest is a figurehead carved into the wall above a blocked up archway which led into the upper garden, now Tarnerland Nursery. Significant confusion has arisen regarding the Tower's purpose. The folly in Tarner Park, now commonly known as Tarner Tower, was built by Edward Tilbury in the early 1800's at the time of initial layout of the garden. A badly vandalised plaque to this effect remains just legible inside the lower floor of the tower.

Panorama of the city
Numerous sources, including the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Timothy Carder, and the listed building register, attribute the construction of the folly to Edwin Tarner, and repeat the tale that he built it as a viewing platform to gain early sight of his ships returning from the Americas. Although the folly does enjoy a splendid panorama of the City, it was apparently not enough for Tarner, who built a second tower nearby on Sussex Street. This tower was larger and at the top of the hill and is a credible venue for the looking at ships story. It was described by the Sussex Daily News in 1941 as 'the queerest building in Brighton' and seems to have been demolished in the early 1950's.

An air-raid shelter in WWII
Tarner Park under council ownership has continued to provide an open space for young people since its acquisition. During the Second World War an air raid shelter was placed in the park, and after the war play features - slides & swings etc... were added. The folly at this time was used as a park keeper's store, and local anecdote recalls the park keeper stationing himself on the viewing platform to better observe behaviour and maintain order. The first new building - a toilet block - was added in the 1970's and the second building - the play base - was added in the late 1980's, alongside a range of other new features. Items have been renewed and added as funding has permitted since then.

Space for informal recreationAs well as offering an outdoor space for informal recreation, in recent years the park had become known as a 'tolerated' graffiti site, attracting participants locally and from further afield, however in early 2008 the council, working with local residents and park users, ended its status as a tolerated site, and following a repaint of surfaces the park is now graffiti free.

When I lived in Sussex Terrace during and just after WW2 we used to play there in what was then known to all the locals as "The Creech". At one time there was a large fig tree growing up the wall on the Sussex St side and the figs were lovely to eat. Around November 5th 1951ish all the local kids chopped a large tree down and dragged it from there to the bomb site at the bottom of Sussex Terrace (now part of John St)and we must have had the tallest bonfire in Brighton that year as all the kids from our street and Kingswood and Milner flats collected enough wood to keep it going for the next two days as well. The Creech was a cracking place to play in as it was rather scruffy and run down but ideal for kids.

By Patrick Collins(Catswhiskas) (24/10/2008)

Tarner Stories is a two year project (2010-2012) funded by Heritage Lottery that will record and bring to life the stories and memories of those that have lived and worked in the Tarner area from the 1930's to the present day. Based at Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project, Tarner Stories is a community project exploring the changing landscape and culture of this central, yet marginalized area of Brighton. We are conducting oral history interviews and writing about the history of this area in the heart of Brighton in exciting and innovative creative writing workshops. Check out our website at http://www.tarnerhistory.org/index.htm. If you know Tarner - or once did - get in touch with Bridget Whelan, Writer in Residence. Through interviewing, creative writing, photography and art workshops Tarner Stories is creating a permanent record of the area for future generations.

By Bridget Whelan (28/07/2010)

It's not clear from which road you can enter the park. Any clues, please?

By David (11/11/2011)

You enter from Sussex Street. There were two entrances; one opposite the 'turret' as we called it. We also called the park the 'creche' for some reason. It was a meeting place for the locals in the area during 70s/80s.